SMU squared off against Alabama in the 50th Sun Bowl on a cold and windy afternoon
in El Paso. The temperature at kickoff was 28 degrees, with winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour. Alabama jumped on the Mustangs in the first quarter, scoring on touchdown runs of one and 11 yards by Ricky Moore. The Crimson Tide defense forced
three SMU turnovers in the first half, and Alabama was able to stretch its lead to 28-0 by halftime.
Jeff Atkins helped the Mustangs get on the scoreboard early in the third quarter when he broke loose for a 58-yard run, setting up Lance McIlhenny's 15-yard touchdown pass to Marquis Pleasant. Pleasant's touchdown represented the only points of the second half as Alabama held on for a 28-7 victory. After giving
up 303 total yards in the first half, the SMU defense limited the Crimson Tide
to just 96 yards of offense in the second half.
| SMU | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 7 |
| Alabama | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 |
| GAME STATISTICS |
Scoring Summary
Alabama - Ricky Moore 1 run (Van Tiffin kick)
Alabama - Moore 11 run (Tiffin kick)
Alabama - Walter Lewis 1 run (Tiffin kick)
Alabama - Joe Jones 19 pass from Lewis (Tiffin kick)
SMU - Marquis Pleasant 15 pass from Lance McIlhenny (Jeff Harrell kick)
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| Team Statistics | SMU | Alabama |
| First Downs | 13 | 23 |
| Yards Rushing | 174 | 251 |
| Yards Passing | 148 | 148 |
| Total Yards | 322 | 399 |
| Passes | 14-27 | 9-14 |
| Punts-Average | 4-41.3 | 6-40.6 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 3-3 | 1-1 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 2 |
| Penalties-Yards | 7-45 | 3-25 |
| Attendance | | 41,412 |
Individual Statistics
Rushing: SMU - Atkins 9-120; Alabama - Moore 28-113
Passing: SMU - McIlhenny 14-27-148; Alabama - Lewis 9-14-148
Receiving: SMU - Morris 5-63; Alabama - Jones 2-36, Chandler 2-34, Gothard 2-27,
Bendross 2-19
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